1. Field of the Invention
The present invention reproduces a pattern from the master having at least any one of a two-dimensional pattern or a three-dimensional pattern formed thereon, and in particular relates to a method for forming a pattern, by which a two-dimensional flat pattern can be efficiently reproduced, and a pattern.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, research and development have been actively carried out for a device (hereinafter called a “microstructural body”) having a microstructure produced by using a nano-order processing technology. Such a microstructural body has been conventionally produced by various methods. In detail, the following methods may be listed.
(1) Production method utilizing differences in surface property of organic molecules
(2) Optical molding method using a laser, ultraviolet ray lamps, etc.
(3) Cubic structure production method using one of electron beam and ion beam
(4) Method using a semiconductor process
(5) Production method using materials whose state changes by heat
Here, the method (1) described above forms organic molecules having various functional groups at predetermined positions of the base layer of a substrate, etc., and selectively forms microstructural bodies utilizing differences in the surface characteristics thereof as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2002-023356.
The method (2) described above forms a liquefied optical hardening type resin to be like a thin film by irradiating ultraviolet rays and laser light thereto, and forms a microstructural body by sequentially stacking the thin film as disclosed in, for example JP-A No. 07-329188.
The cubic structure production method (3) using one of electron beam and ion beam, described above, produces a microstructural body by irradiating an electron beam, the intensity of which is adjusted, onto a resist film coated on a substrate as disclosed in, for example, JP-A No. 01-261601.
The semiconductor process (4) described above forms a microstructural body by repeating formation of a mask pattern utilizing photolithography and elimination of exposed portions by etching.
The production method (5) using materials whose state changes by heat, described above, forms micro patterns directly on a microstructural body by utilizing a phenomenon in which the state of the microstructural body changes according to a change in heat that is generated in the microstructural body by varying the irradiation condition of laser light without utilizing any photolithography as disclosed in, for example, JP-A No. 2006-004594.
However, in all of these methods, there is a problem that the facility becomes expensive to inexpensively reproduce a number of microstructural bodies in view of reproduction of microstructural bodies, and the productivity is inferior since a long period of time is required to reproduce the same.
A nano-imprinting method has been proposed as one of the units configured to solve the problem (Refer to International Publication No. WO 2004/114382). This nano-imprinting method transfers the pattern of a master onto a pattern-transferring material by pressing the master having a nanometer scale pattern onto the pattern-transferring material. According to the nano-imprinting method, there is an advantage of producing a microstructural body at high productivity and at a low cost.
However, since, with the nano-imprinting method, the pattern of the master is of a cubic structure (three-dimensional structure), there is a restriction in regard to the master material, wherein it is difficult to produce the master. In addition, there is another problem that the master is subjected to mechanical deterioration because the master is pressed to a pattern-transferring material at a fixed pressure level. Further, since it is impossible to reproduce a three-dimensional pattern to a two-dimensional flat pattern by a simple method, the current situation is such that further improvement and development are desired.